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Campus Review
January 31, 2014
Kevin Liles Covering the Olympics in Sochi
Clayton State MSP Graduate Granted
Admission to Her Dream Ph.D. Program at UGA
by Samantha Watson
Clayton State University may not have
any athletes in Sochi, Russia for the 2014
Winter Olympics (of course, winter sports
aren’t too common in the south in any
case), but alumnus Kevin Liles is
nonetheless on site at the winter games to
unofficially represent the University.
Liles, a 2011 Clayton State graduate with
a degree in Communication and Media
Studies, and a former editor of The Bent
Tree, is a commercial and editorial free-
lance photographer based in Atlanta. His
clients have included the Atlanta Falcons,
Atlanta Braves, Reynolds Plantation,
USA Today Sports Images, Georgia
Public Broadcasting, and Clayton State.
In addition, his work has appeared in
Sports Illustrated, The New York Times,
Los Angeles Times, USA Today,
Newsweek, as well as other national and
international publications. In Sochi, he’s
shooting for USA Today Sports Images.
In addition to his photographic work,
Liles is also blogging from Sochi. His
blog, http://blog.kevindliles.com/ has the
additional advantage of providing follow-
ers with some stunning photos of the
Olympic venues, only what one would
expect from the former editor of The Bent
Tree who has photographed, among other
subjects, the NCAA Final Four, no less
than four NBA finals, and the cover of
Clayton State’s
The Laker Connection
magazine.
Jennifer Merrifield, a graduate of the clin-
ical track of the Master of Science in
Psychology program at Clayton State
University, was admitted to the doctoral
program in Counseling Psychology at the
University of Georgia last year.
“The supportive faculty at Clayton State
encouraged me to pursue my doctoral
degree and their unwavering encourage-
ment has continued well beyond gradua-
tion,” comments Merrifield.
Dr. Deborah Deckner-Davis, director of
the Master of Science in Psychology pro-
gram, claims that is was Merrifield’s
dream to attend a doctoral program upon
the completion of Clayton State’s masters
program.
In addition to her admission and an exten-
sion of her dream come true, Merrifield
was awarded a four-year competitive
assistantship offered through a partner-
ship between the Ph.D. Counseling
Psychology program and the College of
Agriculture and Environmental Sciences
(CAES) at UGA.
To fulfill her assistantship, Merrifield
serves as the academic counselor for
CAES. In this role she works with stu-
dents by assisting them in identifying
their sources of academic difficulties and
strengths. She helps students design
action plans for their college careers while
providing support. Overall, she helps to
retain both undergraduate and graduate
students that are on academic probation or
at risk for academic dismissal.
“My time at Clayton State University
inspired me to serve underrepresented
populations and sparked my interest in
social justice,” states Merrifield, “It has
also offered me a place of professional
growth and development. The faculty ulti-
mately shaped me into a multi-culturally
competent professional in my field.”
Dr. Amy Adele Foster, D.M.A
Amy Adele Foster, D.M.A - of Knoxville, Tenn. and Kennesaw, Ga, -- choral conductor, collaborative pianist and profound music
educator, died peacefully surrounded by her family on Wednesday evening, Jan. 8, 2014, at the age of 45, following a courageous
battle with breast cancer..
Amy earned her Bachelor of Music degree from Louisiana State University and Master of Music degree fromGeorgia State University.
In 2006 she completed her Doctor of Musical Arts in Piano Accompanying and Chamber Music with a double minor in Choral
Conducting and Piano Pedagogy from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y. Amy Foster was Staff Accompanist in the
Department of Music at Clayton State University from 2000 to 2003, before leaving to pursue her doctorate at the Eastman School of
Music.
Life’s Transitions...
Kevin Liles, Class of 2011